Minutes - 2025 - Conservation Advisory Committee (CEP) - 03/10/2025 - RegularTHE CITY OF EAGLE
CONSERVATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
March 10, 2025
CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Baun calls the meeting to order on March 10, 2025, at 5:39 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL: BAUN, BESSAW, JOHNSON, KOSCIUCH, PELLANT.
Present: Baun, Bessaw, Johnson, Kosciuch, Pellant. A quorum is present.
3. REPORTS:
A. Committee: None.
B. Staff. Deputy City Clerk, Holly Csencsits states that the City has collected a total of $3,715 in CEP
funds.
4. NEW BUSINESS:
A. ACTION ITEM: Minutes of January 9, 2025. (HNC)
Bessaw moves to approve the Minutes of January 9, 2025. Seconded by Johnson. ALL AYE ... MOTION
CARRIES.
B. ACTION ITEM: Discuss and Approve Conservation Advisory Committee Recommendations for
City Council Regarding Short -Term and Long -Term Proiects to be Considered for Incorporation
of the FY 25-26 Capital Plan. (CB)
Discussion amongst the Committee regarding the short-term and long-term recommendation list that was
provided for review and that will be written in letter format to be presented to City Council for consideration into
the Capital Plan.
Bessaw makes a motion to recommend to Council a letter to Council thaat everything that was discussed
and as outlined in this outline with the modifications discussed. Seconded by Kosciuch. ALL
AYE ... MOTION CARRIES.
5. ADJOURNMENT:
Pellant moves to adjourn. Seconded by Bann. ALL AYE ... MOTION CARRIES.
Hearing no further business, the Cron Advisory Committee meeting was adjourned.
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AN AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS MEETING IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD AT WWW.CITYOFEAGLE.ORG.
CAC Project Summary (Short and Long-term) for Funding Recommendations
Date: January 9, 2025
Short-term Projects (One to Two Years)
o Wildlife Signs
■ Work with IDFG, ITD, PC's, to get multiple electronic signs (like those on SH-
55) to support wildlife crossings, traffic issues, and emergency responses.
o WUl Ordinance
■ Support the City in finalizing the WUI Ordinance.
• Education and Outreach
o Invasive and Noxious Weeds
■ Coordination with Ada Weed and Pest, Wester Rangelands... to provide
residents and staff with education on impacts and recommendations for
monitoring and control.
o Small Ag and Soils
■ Coordination with Ada Soil and water Conservation District (ASWCD) to
develop education materials and classes on small ag farming and way to
keep and enhance soils.
Sustainable practices and uses for small ag lands.
Long Term Projects (Excess of Two Years)
• Charlie Woods Park (included Adjacent Renison Area)
o Alternatives:
No Action: Do nothing at this point.
Renison Alternative (CAC not in support): Renison to regrade both sites,
develop/install irrigation system, add topsoil, and seed with grass. A natural
pathway (gravel type mix) would be placed through the sites. The city to take
possession of the site and maintain.
• CAC feels that this does not benefit the City, would create a
maintenance burden while also creating use issues with the pond
and neighbors (public use enforcement issues), and provides
minimal habitat value. High probability of noxious weeds and
associated maintenance costs to the city.
CAC Recommendations:
Option 1: Wetland banking was the best value and use of the area
(Charlie Wood and Renison areas). This would have an economic
($200k+ per acre or used by the city) and intrinsic value to the city, as
well as increased education and outreach opportunities. This is the
costliest and requires time, but CAC would support the use of CEP
funds to support the process (mapping, prospectus, engineering...).
However, it was identified by staff that wetlands banking was a low
priority to the city at this point (dropping projects) and would not
likely move forward.
Option 2: Based on the limited support for banking a hybrid
alternative was developed. The CAC recommended the grading
(contour with low points for accumulation points), supplemental
irrigation, coupled with added topsoil, seeding (native grass, forb,
and shrub species), and planting a significant number of trees. The
trail would be the same as the Renison alternative. The intent is to
create a forested area for habitat that also limits public use of the
pond to designated sportsman access points and the trail. This has
mostly intrinsic value to the city as there would be no economic
benefit, and the city would have to maintain the site. However, this
can be done quicker and less costly than wetlands banking which is
in line with what we are hearing from staff.
• Small Ag Preservation Program
o Work with ASWCD, DoA, and other partners to create a small ag program for
landowners interested in growing crops or livestock on their small ag lots 5-20
acres. This requires a considerable amount of coordination but gives the city and
residents an economically sustainable pathway to preserving and using ag lands to
grow viable crops, keep open space, and protect habitat.